In response to a survey on AI usage among internet users in India conducted between August 2024 and February 2025, nearly half of all respondents considered AI-generated information somewhat accurate. Contrariwise, about 18 percent found AI responses to their queries to be inaccurate. Fact-checking and identifying misinformation have grown increasingly necessary with the growing popularity of AI-assisted online searches.

According to the 2024 Digital Quality of Life index covering 121 countries, India's rank dropped to 60, scoring an average of 0.47 points across five digital aspects. While the country moved up the ranks on the internet affordability and electronic security pillars that year, it saw a decline across the other three aspects that had been its strength in 2023.

As of 2023, the average data consumption per user per month in India was at **** gigabytes. 4G data traffic contributes to ** percent of the overall data traffic while 5G was launched in India in October 2022. Increased online education, remote working for professionals and higher OTT viewership contributed to the data traffic growth.

The internet penetration rate in India rose over 55 percent in 2025, from about 14 percent in 2014. Although these figures seem relatively low, it meant that more than half of the population of 1.4 billion people had internet access that year. This also ranked the country second in the world in terms of active internet users. Internet availability and accessibility By 2021, the number of internet connections across the country tripled with urban areas accounting for a higher density of connections than rural regions. Despite incredibly low internet prices, internet usage in India has yet to reach its full potential. Lack of awareness and a tangible gender gap lie at the heart of the matter, with affordable mobile handsets and mobile internet connections presenting only a partial solution. Reliance Jio was the popular choice among Indian internet subscribers, offering them wider coverage at cheap rates. Digital living Home to one of the largest bases of netizens in the world, India is abuzz with internet activities being carried out every moment of every day. From information and research to shopping and entertainment to living in smart homes, Indians have welcomed digital living with open arms. Among these, social media usage was one of the most common reasons for accessing the internet.

India: Broadband internet subscribers, in thousands: The latest value from 2023 is 39300 thousand subscribers, an increase from 33500 thousand subscribers in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 10539 thousand subscribers, based on data from 137 countries. Historically, the average for India from 2001 to 2023 is 13249 thousand subscribers. The minimum value, 50 thousand subscribers, was reached in 2001 while the maximum of 39300 thousand subscribers was recorded in 2023.

Within the Asia Pacific region, South Korea had the highest average IPv4 internet connection speed at **** megabits per second (Mbps). Considering this, it comes as no surprise that South Korea also had the highest internet penetration rate and the highest 4G download speed  across Asia. This was due to governmental efforts to facilitate the expansion and improvement of internet. 

Current state of internet in Asia 

Although Singapore had the third-fastest average IPv4 connection speed as of 2017, in 2018, it nonetheless had the fastest internet overall with a mean download speed of ***** Mbps, surpassing larger countries such as the U.S. and Germany.  Although India and the Philippines had the lowest average internet connection speeds, its year-on-year growth was higher than the leading countries with respectively **% and **%. In the Philippines, the government carried out a National Broadband Plan (NBP) to increase nationwide internet access. Similarly, the Indian government had also proposed a national broadband network to connect all cities and villages. 

Internet connection speed explained 

Megabits per second (Mbps) refer to the speed with which information can be downloaded or uploaded from and to the internet. For the Federal Communications Commission, a sufficient broadband internet connection requires a minimum of ** Mbps for downloads and * Mbps for uploads. In the world of internet, connection speeds above ** Mbps enable swift web surfing, HD content streaming as well as fast downloads. 

As indicated by a survey on AI usage in India, ChatGPT was the most popular AI platform used to search for information as of February 2025. Perplexity was the next most popular among Indian internet users, evident in nine percent of the responses. However, a significant share of internet users in India remained wary of AI platforms and chose to look up information using Google and other search engines.

In 2021, the south Indian city Chennai with average internet speed of ***** Mbps ranked the first among cities in India. It was followed by Bengaluru and Hyderabad, both with internet speed around ** Mbps. Internet access speed has a crucial influence on the colocation of data center in the country.

This line chart displays individuals using the Internet (% of population) by date using the aggregation average, weighted by population in India. The data is about countries per year.

The Indian internet backbone market is poised for significant growth through 2029, driven by increasing internet penetration, rising smartphone adoption, and the expanding digital economy. The market's Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2025-2033, while not explicitly stated, is likely to be robust, mirroring global trends and India's unique digital landscape. Factors such as government initiatives promoting digital infrastructure, increasing investments in 5G technology, and the surge in data consumption across both urban and rural areas will fuel this expansion. While challenges remain, such as infrastructure gaps in remote areas and cybersecurity concerns, the overall trajectory points to substantial market expansion. Competition among infrastructure providers, including both domestic and international players, is expected to intensify, leading to increased efficiency and affordability for consumers. The segment breakdown will likely show strong growth in applications related to streaming services, e-commerce, and online education, while the types of infrastructure will see a continued shift towards higher-capacity fiber optic networks and cloud-based solutions. By 2029, the market is projected to reach a considerable size, reflecting India's position as a rapidly developing digital market. The growth will be regionally diverse, with major metropolitan areas witnessing faster adoption and consequently higher market penetration than rural areas. However, government initiatives focusing on bridging the digital divide will significantly impact the growth trajectory in less developed regions. Specific segments within the market, such as data center infrastructure and network security solutions, will experience above-average growth, fueled by the increasing demand for secure and reliable internet connectivity. Understanding these market dynamics is crucial for businesses and investors looking to capitalize on the immense potential of the Indian internet backbone market. Successful strategies will require agility, adaptation to changing technologies, and a focus on meeting the unique needs of the Indian market.

This horizontal bar chart displays individuals using the Internet (% of population) by currency using the aggregation average, weighted by population in India. The data is about countries per year.

As of December 2023, the access technology with the largest number of internet subscribers in India was Fibre, with approximately ** million users.

The average internet connection speed in selected Asia Pacific countries as of the first quarter of 2017 can be found here.

India Smart Home Market size was valued at USD 3.9 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 15.7 Billion by 2032 growing at a CAGR of 19.1% from 2026 to 2032.Key Market Drivers:Rising Internet Penetration and Digital Connectivity: In accordance to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India had approximately 825 million internet users as of March 2024, with rural internet penetration growing at 13% per year. The Digital India initiative has accelerated broadband connectivity, with fiber-to-home connections increasing by 32% in 2023 alone, establishing the critical infrastructure required for smart home technology adoption.Growing Middle Class with Higher Disposable Income: Based to the World Economic Forum, India's middle class is expected to account for 80% of households by 2030, up from 50% in 2019. As per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, average household disposable income in urban India will rise by 11.9% in 2023-24, allowing more consumers to invest in premium smart home products an

As of February 2025, China ranked first with around 1.11 billion internet users, followed by India with 624 million internet users. China and India were not only leading within the Asia Pacific region, but had the highest number of internet users worldwide. The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region had the largest number of internet users globally, however, internet penetration in Asia was still below the global average. Internet usage patterns in APAC The Philippines leads the region in average daily time spent using the internet in the Asia Pacific region, at around nine hours online each day. In emerging markets like Thailand, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, over 60 percent of online time occurs on mobile devices. In contrast, users in more developed markets such as South Korea, Singapore, and Australia tend to have a more balanced distribution of internet time between mobile and desktop. In Japan, internet users reported spending around 57 percent of online time on computers, compared to around 43 percent on mobile devices. This contrast highlights the diversity of internet usage behaviors across the Asia-Pacific region, shaped by varying levels of digital infrastructure, economic development, and consumer preferences. Mobile internet development in APAC Mobile internet has experienced significant growth worldwide and in the Asia-Pacific region throughout recent years. Since 2015, the number of mobile internet subscribers in APAC has doubled. At the same time, mobile internet download speeds in APAC have improved markedly, with countries like South Korea, China, and Singapore leading the region in performance. As a result, mobile internet user penetration across APAC was forecasted to increase steadily through 2030.

As of the third quarter of 2024, Indians spent the most time in a day on the internet, that is over six hours on average. In comparison, Indian consumers dedicated the least amount of time per day listening to the radio. Overall, that year saw an increase in consumption across all the listed media types compared to the same period in the previous year.

The ranking of internet costs in various countries shows significant differences, driven by economic, political, and infrastructure factors.

This horizontal bar chart displays individuals using the Internet (% of population) by ISO 2 country code using the aggregation average, weighted by population in India. The data is about countries per year.

As of December 2023, the service area with the highest number density of internet subscribers was the nation's capital city, Delhi, which had nearly *** subscribers for every 100 inhabitants. The average internet subscribers per 100 population in India during the same period was around ****.

The results might surprise you when looking at internet users that are active on social media in each country.

The average 4G data usage per month across the south Asian country was approximately ****** megabytes in 2017, down from around ****** megabytes in the year 2016. The affordable prices were projected to drive the monthly data usage in the later years.